Status flags in a system of electronic pyrotechnic devices such as electronic detonators

ABSTRACT

An electronic blasting system in which each detonator is provided with status flags or the like to convey the status of various states or conditions of the detonator such as detection on the system bus, firing capacitor charging, calibration of the detonator&#39;s circuitry, and events such as the successful receipt of a fire command.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed generally to a system of electronicpyrotechnic devices such as electronic detonators, and moreparticularly, to the use of status flags in such systems and devices.

Prior art detonating systems have employed electronic detonators thatfire in response to an excitation signal from a blasting machine,without first checking the status of detection on the bus, charging, andcalibration of the detonators. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,765,entitled “Electronic Delay Circuit for Firing Ignition Element,” issuedto Aikou et al., describes an electronic detonator that fires uponcounting a predetermined number of clock pulses without checking for thecharge status of the firing capacitor. But if the status is not checked,the next process or event in the firing sequence may be futile orfaulty. For example, if the firing capacitor has not been properlycharged and armed, issuing a fire command will not result in asuccessful firing. Moreover, if all detonators have not been calibratedand synchronized properly with respect to a central unit timing, therelative firing delay of each detonator may be compromised.

Status flags have been used in other fields such as in digital machinesfor register bookkeeping, however, heretofore status flags have not beenapplied to electronic blasting systems or electronic detonators.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an electronic blasting system in accordance with the presentinvention, each detonator is provided with status flags or registerswithin its internal memory or the like. These status flags may be usedto convey the status of any firmware states or conditions, by way ofexample, for the status of detection on the system bus, firing capacitorcharging, calibration, and firing-related events such as the receipt ofa firing command. In a separate and independent aspect of the invention,the ability to set one or more of such flags high is preferably made todepend on the setting high of one or more other flags, and/or the systemcan be configured so that one or more flags must be set in a particularsequence so as to ensure that an orderly process is followed in everyfiring sequence (e.g., the detonator cannot be charged unless the busdetection flag has been set, calibration cannot be performed unless thecharge flag has been set, and the fire command cannot be initiatedunless all three previous flags of bus detection, charged and calibratedhave been set and the corresponding events initiated).

The present invention thus may be used to effect more efficient and/orsafe management of the firing process within the electronic detonatorblasting system, and/or a more reliably successful firing sequence.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overall view showing a layout of an electronic blastingsystem in which the present invention may be employed.

FIG. 2 is an overall view showing a layout of an alternate configurationof such an electronic blasting system.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a preferred detonator that may be used inthe electronic blasting system of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the major electrical aspects ofthe electronic ignition module (EIM) of the detonator of FIG. 3,including an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a preferred circuit design forthe ASIC of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 a is a graph of voltage versus time illustrating a preferredvoltage modulation-based communication from a blasting machine todetonator(s) in the electronic blasting system of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 6 b is a graph of voltage versus time illustrating a preferredvoltage modulation-based communication from a logger to detonator(s) theelectronic blasting system of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 7 a is a graph of current versus time illustrating a preferredcurrent modulation-based response back from a detonator to a blastingmachine the electronic blasting system of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 7 b is a graph of current versus time illustrating a preferredcurrent modulation-based response back from a detonator(s) to a loggerthe electronic blasting system of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating communication to a detonator and responseback from the detonator to any response-eliciting command other than anAuto Bus Detection command.

FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating communication to a detonator and responseback from the detonator in response to an AutoBus Detection command.

FIGS. 10 a, 10 b, 10 c, and 10 d are a flowchart illustrating apreferred logic sequence for the operation of an electronic blastingsystem of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a preferred logic sequence for theoperation of a detonator that may be used in the electronic blastingsystem of FIGS. 1 and 2, beginning with the reception by the detonatorof a Fire command.

FIG. 12 is a graph of voltage and current versus time in a firingcapacitor in a detonator such as that of FIG. 3, showing aconstant-current, rail-voltage regulated charging process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

To describe the present invention with reference to the details of aparticular preferred embodiment, it is noted that the present inventionmay be employed in an electronic system comprising a network of slavedevices, for example, an electronic blasting system in which the slavedevices are electronic detonators. As depicted in FIG. 1, one embodimentof such an electronic blasting system may comprise a number ofdetonators 20, a two-line bus 18, leg wires 19 including connectors forattaching the detonator to the bus 18, a logger (not shown), and ablasting machine 40. The detonators 20 are preferably connected to theblasting machine 40 in parallel (as in FIG. 1) or in other arrangementsincluding branch (as in FIG. 2), tree, star, or multiple parallelconnections. A preferred embodiment of such an electronic blastingsystem is described below, although it will be readily appreciated byone of ordinary skill in the art that other systems or devices couldalso be used, and many configurations, variations, and modifications ofeven the particular system described here could be made, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

The blasting machine 40 and logger may preferably each have a pair ofterminals capable of receiving bare copper (bus) wire up to, forexample, 14-gauge. The logger's terminals may also preferably beconfigured to receive steel detonator wires (polarity insensitive), andthe logger should have an interface suitable for connecting to theblasting machine 40. The blasting machine 40 and logger are preferablycapable of being operated by a person wearing typical clothing used inmining and blasting operations, e.g., thick gloves. The blasting machine40 and logger may preferably be portable handheld battery-powereddevices that require password entry to permit operation and haveilluminated displays providing menus, instructions, keystrokereproduction, and messages (including error messages) as appropriate.The blasting machine 40 may preferably have a hinged lid and controlsand indicators that include a lock for the power-on key, a numerickeypad with up/down arrows and “enter” button, a display, an armingbutton, an indicator light(s), and a firing button.

The blasting machine 40 and logger should be designed for reliableoperation in the anticipated range of operating temperatures andendurance of anticipated storage temperatures and are preferablyresistant to ammonium nitrate and commonly-used emulsion explosives. Theblasting machine 40 and logger are also preferably robust enough towithstand typical treatment in a mining or blasting environment such asbeing dropped and trodden on, and may thus have casings that are rugged,water and corrosion-resistant and environmentally sealed to operate inmost weather. The blasting machine 40 and logger should, as appropriate,meet applicable requirements of CEN document prCEN/TS 13763-27 (NMP898/FABERG N 0090 D/E) E 2002-06-19 and governmental and industryrequirements. To the extent practical, the logger is preferably designedto be incapable of firing any known electric and electronic detonatorsand the blasting machine 40 to be incapable of firing all known electricdetonators and any other known electronic detonators that are notdesigned for use with the blasting machine 40. An initial electricaltest of the system to detect such a device can be employed to providefurther assurance that unintended detonators are not fired.

The bus 18 may be a duplex or twisted pair and should be chosen to havea pre-selected resistance (e.g., in the embodiment described here,preferably 30 to 75Ω per single conductor. The end of the bus 18 shouldnot be shunted, but its wire insulation should be sufficiently robust toensure that leakage to ground, stray capacitance, and stray inductanceare minimized (e.g., in the embodiment described herein, preferably lessthan 100 mA leakage for the whole bus, 50 pF/m conductor-to-conductorstray capacitance, and 1 μH/m conductor-to-conductor stray inductance)under all encountered field conditions.

The leg wires 19 and contacts should be chosen to have a pre-selectedresistance measured from the detonator terminal to the detonator-to-busconnector (e.g., in the embodiment described here, 50 to 100Ω per singleconductor plus 25 mΩ per connector contact). It will be recognized thatthe particular detonator-to-bus connector that is used may constrain thechoice of bus wire. From a functional standpoint, the detonators 20 maybe attached at any point on the bus 18, although they must of course bea safe distance from the blasting machine 40.

As shown in FIG. 3, a suitable detonator 20 for use in an electronicblasting system such as that described here may comprise an electronicignition module (EIM) 23, a shell 29, a charge 36 (preferably comprisinga primary charge and base charge), leg wires 19, and an end plug 34 thatmay be crimped in the open end of the shell 29. The EIM 23 is preferablyprogrammable and includes an igniter 28 and a circuit board to which maybe connected various electronic components. In the embodiment describedhere, the igniter 28 is preferably a hermetically sealed device thatincludes a glass-to-metal seal and a bridgewire 27 designed to reliablyignite a charge contained within the igniter 28 upon the passage throughthe bridgewire 27 of electricity at a predetermined “all-fire” voltagelevel. The EIM 23 (including its electronics and part or all of itsigniter 28) may preferably be insert-molded into an encapsulation 31 toform a single assembly with terminals for attachment of the leg wires19. Assignee's co-pending U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 10/158,317(at pages 5-8 and FIGS. 1-5) and Ser. No. 10/158,318 (at pages 3-8 andFIGS. 1-6), both filed on May 29, 2002, are hereby incorporated byreference for their applicable teachings of the construction of suchdetonators beyond the description that is set forth herein. As taught inthose applications, an EIM 23 generally like the one depicted in FIG. 3can be manufactured and handled in standalone form, for laterincorporation by a user into the user's own custom detonator assembly(including a shell 29 and charge 36).

The circuit board of the EIM 23 is preferably a microcontroller orprogrammable logic device or most preferably an application-specificintegrated circuit chip (ASIC) 30, a filtering capacitor 24, a storagecapacitor 25 preferably, e.g., 3.3 to 10 μF (to hold a charge and powerthe EIM 23 when the detonator 20 is responding back to a master deviceas discussed further below), a firing capacitor 26 (preferably, e.g., 47to 374 μF) (to hold an energy reserve that is used to fire the detonator20), additional electronic components, and contact pads 22 forconnection to the leg wires 19 and the igniter 28. A shell groundconnector 32 protruding through the encapsulation 31 for contact withthe shell 29 and connected to, e.g., a metal can pin on the ASIC 30(described below), which is connected to circuitry within the ASIC 30(e.g., an integrated silicon controlled resistor or a diode) that canprovide protection against electrostatic discharge and radio frequencyand electromagnetic radiation that could otherwise cause damage and/ormalfunctioning.

Referring to FIG. 4, a preferred electronic schematic layout of adetonator 20 such as that of FIG. 3 is shown. The ASIC 30 is preferablya mixed signal chip with dimensions of 3 to 6 mm. Pins 1 and 2 of thedepicted ASIC 30 are inputs to the leg wires 19 and thus the bus 18, pin3 is for connection to the shell ground connector 32 and thus the shell29, pin 6 is connected to the firing capacitor 26 and bridgewire 27, pin7 is connected to the filtering capacitor 24, pin 10 is connected to thebridgewire 27, pin 13 is grounded, and pin 14 is connected to thestorage capacitor 25.

Referring specifically now to FIG. 5, the ASIC 30 may preferably consistof the following modules: polarity correct, communications interface,EEPROM, digital logic core, reference generator, bridge capacitorcontrol, level detectors, and bridgewire FET. As shown, the polaritycorrect module may employ polarity-insensitive rectifier diodes totransform the incoming voltage (regardless of its polarity) into avoltage with common ground to the rest of the circuitry of the ASIC 30.The communication interface preferably shifts down the voltages asreceived from the blasting machine 40 so that they are compatible withthe digital core of the ASIC 30, and also toggles and transmits thetalkback current (described below) to the rectifier bridge (and thesystem bus lines) based on the output from the digital core. The EEPROMmodule preferably stores the unique serial identification, delay time,hole registers and various analog trim values of the ASIC 30. Thedigital logic core preferably holds the state machine, which processesthe data incoming from the blasting machine 40 and outgoing talkback viathe communication interface. Reference generators preferably provide theregulated voltages needed to power up the digital core and oscillator(e.g., 3.3V) and also the analog portions to charge the firing capacitor26 and discharge the firing MOSFET. The bridge capacitor controlpreferably contains a constant current generator to charge up the firingcapacitor 26 and also a MOSFET to discharge the firing capacitor 26 whenso desired. The level detectors are preferably connected to the firingcapacitor 26 to determine based on its voltage whether it is in acharged or discharged state. Finally, the bridgewire MOSFET preferablyallows the passage of charge or current from the firing capacitor 26across the bridgewire 27 upon actuation by pulling to ground.

Communication Protocol

Communication of data in a system such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 maypreferably consist of a 2-wire bus polarity independent serial protocolbetween the detonators 20 and a logger or blasting machine 40.Communications from the blasting machine 40 may either be in individualmode (directed to a particular detonator 20 only) or broadcast modewhere all the detonators 20 will receive the same command (usuallycharging and fire commands). The communication protocol is preferablyserial, contains cyclic redundancy error checking (CRC), andsynchronization bits for timing accuracy among the detonators 20. Thereis also a command for the auto-detection of detonators 20 on the bus 18that otherwise had not been entered into the blasting machine 40.

When the blasting machine 40 and detonators 20 are connected, the systemidle state voltage is preferably set at V_(B,H). The slave detonators 20then preferably obtain their power from the bus 18 during the highstate, which powers up their storage capacitors 25. Communications fromthe blasting machine 40 or logger to the ASICs 30 is based on voltagemodulation pulsed at the appropriate baud rate, which the ASICs 30decipher into the associated data packets.

As shown in FIGS. 6 a and 6 b, different operating voltages V_(L,L) andV_(L,H) can be used by the logger versus those of the blasting machine40, V_(B,L) and V_(B,H). In the embodiment described here, suitablevalues for V_(L,L) and V_(L,H) are 1 to 3V and 5.5 to 14V, respectively,while suitable values for V_(B,L) and V_(B,H) are 0 to 15V and 28V orhigher, respectively. Further, a detonator 20 in such a system maypreferably utilize this difference to sense whether it is connected tothe blasting machine 40 or logger (i.e., whether it is in logger orblaster mode), such as by going into logger mode when the voltage isless than a certain value (e.g., 15V) and blaster mode when it is aboveanother value (e.g., 17V). This differentiation permits the ASIC 30 ofthe detonator 20 to, when in logger mode, preferably switch on a MOSFETto discharge the firing capacitor 26 and/or disable its charging and/orfiring logic. The differentiation by the detonator 20 is alsoadvantageously simplified if there is no overlap between the high/lowranges of the blasting machine 40 and the logger, as shown in FIGS. 6 aand 6 b. (Each of these figures depicts nominal values for high and low,but it is further preferable that the maximum and minimum acceptablevalues for the highs and lows also do not permit overlap).

On the other hand, instead of voltage modulation, the communication fromthe ASICs 30 to the blasting machine 40 or logger is based on currentmodulation (“current talkback”), as shown in FIGS. 7 a and 7 b. Withcurrent modulation, the ASICs 30 toggle the amount of current to thelogger (between I_(L,L), preferably 0 mA, and I_(L,H), preferably avalue that is at least 0.1 mA but substantially less than I_(B,H)) orblasting machine 40 (between I_(B,L), preferably 0 mA, and I_(B,H),preferably a value that is at least 5 mA but not so high as to possiblyoverload the system when multiple detonators 20 respond), which thensenses and deciphers these current pulse packets into the associateddata sent. This current talkback from the detonators back to the mastercan be performed when the voltage of the bus 18 is high or low, but ifperformed when the bus 18 is high, the ASICs 30 are continuouslyreplenishing the storage capacitors 25, causing a high backgroundcurrent draw (especially when many detonators 20 are connected to thebus 18). When the bus 18 is preferably held low, however, the rectifierbridge diodes are reverse-biased and the ASICs 30 draw operating currentfrom the storage capacitors 25 rather than the bus 18, so as to improvethe signal-to-noise ratio of the sensed talkback current at the blastingmachine 40 or logger. Thus, the current talkback is preferably conductedwhen the bus 18 is held low. The toggling of current by the ASICs 30 canbe suitably achieved by various known methods such as modulating thevoltage on a sense resistor, a current feedback loop on an op amp, orincorporating constant current sinks, e.g. current mirror.

Serial Data Communication (Serial Data Line) Organization

In communications to and from the master devices and slave devices, theserial data communication interface may preferably comprise a packetconsisting of a varying or, more preferably, a fixed number (preferably10 to 20) of “bytes” or “words” that are each preferably, e.g., twelvebits long, preferably with the most significant bit being sent first.Depending on the application, other suitable sized words couldalternately be used, and/or a different number of words could be usedwithin the packet. Also, a different packet structure could alternatelybe employed for communications from the master device as compared tothose of communications from the slave devices.

The first word of the packet of the embodiment described here ispreferably an initial synchronization word and can be structured suchthat its first three bits are zero so that it is effectively received asa nine-bit word (e.g., 101010101, or any other suitable arrangement).

In addition to containing various data as described below, thesubsequent words may also preferably each contain a number of bits—forexample, four bits at the beginning or end of each word—that areprovided to permit mid-stream re-synchronization (resulting in a wordstructured as 0101_D7:D0 or D7:D0_(—)0101 and thus having eight bitsthat can be used to convey data, or “data bits”). Preferred schemes ofinitial synchronization and re-synchronization are described furtherunder the corresponding heading below.

Another word of the packet can be used to communicate commands, such asis described under the corresponding heading below.

Preferably five to eight additional bytes of the packet are used forserial identification (serial ID) to uniquely (as desired) identify eachdetonator in a system. The data bits of the serial ID data maypreferably consist at least in part of data such as revision number, lotnumber, and wafer number, for traceability purposes. In broadcastcommands from the master device, these words do not need to contain aserial ID for a particular detonator and thus may consist of arbitraryvalues, or of dummy values that could be used for some other purpose.

Additional words of the packet are preferably used to convey delay timeinformation (register) (and comprise enough data bits to specify asuitable range of delay time, e.g., in the context of an electronicblasting system, a maximum delay of on the order of, e.g., a minute) insuitable increments, e.g., 1 ms in the context of an electronic blastingsystem. (A setting of zero is preferably considered a default error).

In the embodiment described here, one or more additional words of thepacket are preferably used for scratch information, which can be used todefine blasting hole identifications (hole IDs), with these wordscomprising enough data bits to accommodate the maximum desired number ofhole IDs.

One or more additional words of the packet are preferably used for acyclic redundancy check (for example, using CRC-8 algorithm based on thepolynomial, x⁸+x²+x+1), or less preferably, a parity check, or anerror-correction check, e.g., using hamming code. Preferably, neitherthe initial synchronization word nor the synchronization bits are usedin the CRC calculation for either transmission or reception.

Synchronization Word and Re-Synchronization Bits

In the embodiment and application described here, a preferred range ofpossible communication rates may be 300 to 9600 baud. In a packet sentby the master device, the initial synchronization word is used todetermine the speed at which the slave device receives and processes thenext word in the packet from the master device; likewise, in a packetsent by the slave device, the initial synchronization word is used todetermine the speed at which the master device receives and processesthe next word from the slave device. The first few (enough to obtainrelatively accurate synchronization), but not all, of the bits of thisinitial synchronization word are preferably sampled, in order to permittime for processing and determination of the communication rate prior toreceipt of the ensuing word. Synchronization may be effected by, e.g.,the use of a counter/timer monitoring transitions in the voltagelevel—low to high or high to low, and the rates of the sampled bits arepreferably averaged together. Throughout transmission of the ensuingwords of the packet, i.e., “mid-stream,” re-synchronization is thenpreferably conducted by the receiving device assuming that (e.g., 4-bit)synchronization portions are provided in (preferably each of) thoseensuing words. In this way, it can be ensured that synchronization isnot lost during the transfer of a packet.

If requested, a slave device responds back, after transmission of apacket from the master device, at the last sampled rate of that packet,which is preferably that of the last word of the packet. (This rate canbe viewed as the rate of the initial synchronization word as skewedduring the transmission of the packet—in an electronic blasting machine,such skew is generally more pronounced during communication from thedetonator to the logger). Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, communication froma master to a slave device, and a synchronized response back from theslave device, is shown.

As depicted in FIG. 8, the device may preferably be configured andprogrammed to initiate a response back to individually-addressedcommands no later than a predetermined period (after the end trailingedge of the serial input transfer) comprising the time required tocomplete the input transfer, the serial interface setup for a responseback, and the initial portion of the synchronization word (e.g.,000101010101). Preferably the bus 18 should be pulled (and held) lowwithin the capture and processing delay.

Command Word

The data bits of the command word from the master device (e.g., blastingmachine or logger) in the serial communication packet may preferably beorganized so that one bit is used to indicate (e.g., by being set high)that the master device is communicating, another is used to indicatewhether it is requesting a read or a write, another indicates whetherthe command is a broadcast command or a single device command, and otherbits are used to convey the particular command. Similarly, the data bitsof the command word from the slave device (e.g., detonator) maypreferably be organized so that one bit is used to indicate that thedevice is responding (e.g., by being set high), another indicateswhether a CRC error has occurred, another indicates whether a deviceerror (e.g., charge verify) has occurred, and other bits are discretelyused to convey “status flags.”

The flag data bits from devices can be used to indicate the currentstate of the device and are preferably included in all device responses.These flags can be arranged, for example, so that one flag indicateswhether or not the device has been been detected on the bus, anotherindicates whether it has been calibrated, another indicates whether itis currently charged, and another indicates whether it has received aFire command. A flag value of 1 (high) can then signify a response inthe affirmative and 0 (low) in the negative.

A preferred set of useful substantive blasting machine/logger commandsmay include: Unknown Detonator Read Back (of device settings); SingleCheck Continuity (of detonator bridgewire); Program Delay/Scratch; AutoBus Detection (detect unidentified devices); Known Detonator Read Back;Check Continuity (of the detonators' bridgewires); Charge (the firingcapacitors); Charge Verify; Calibrate (the ASICs' internal clocks);Calibrate Verify; Fire (initiates sequences leading to firing of thedetonators); DisCharge; DisCharge Verify; and, Single DisCharge. As willbe explained further below, some of these commands are “broadcast”commands (sent with any arbitrary serial identification and itsconcomitant proper CRC code) that only elicit a response from anydetonator(s) that have not been previously identified or in which anerror has occurred, while others are directed to a specific detonatoridentified by its serial ID. FIGS. 10 a-d show a flowchart of apreferred logical sequence of how such commands may be used in theoperation of an electronic blasting system, and specific details of thepreferred embodiment described here are set forth for each individualcommand under the Operation headings.

Operation—by Logger

In use, the detonators 20 are preferably first each connectedindividually to a logger, which preferably reads the detonator serialID, performs diagnostics, and correlates hole number to detonator serialID. At this point, the operator can then program the detonator delaytime if it has not already been programmed. Once a detonator 20 isconnected to the logger, the operator powers up the logger and commandsthe reading of serial ID, the performing of diagnostics, and, ifdesired, the writing of a delay time. As the serial ID is read, thelogger may assign a sequential hole number and retains a record of thehole number, serial ID, and delay time.

The foregoing sequence can beneficially be accomplished using theabove-noted Unknown Detonator Read Back and Single Check Continuitycommands and possibly the Program Delay/Scratch command. Preferreddetails of these commands are set forth below.

Unknown Detonator Read Back

By this command, the blasting machine 40 or logger requests a read backof the serial ID, delay time, scratch information, and status flags(notably including its charge status) of a single, unknown detonator 20.The bus detection flag is not set by this command. (As an alternate tothis command, the logger could instead perform a version of the Auto BusDetection and Known Detonator Read Back commands described below).

Single Check Continuity

By this command, the logger requests a continuity check of a singledetonator 20 of which the serial ID is known. The logger may(preferably) issue this command prior to the programming (orre-programming) of a delay time for the particular detonator 20. Inresponse to this command, the ASIC 30 of the detonator 20 causes acontinuity check to be conducted on the bridgewire 27. The continuitycheck can be beneficially accomplished, for example, by the ASIC 30 (atits operating voltage) causing a constant current (e.g., about 27 μAwith a nominally 1.8Ω bridgewire 27 in the embodiment described here) tobe passed through the bridgewire 27 via, e.g., a MOSFET switch andmeasuring the resulting voltage across the bridgewire 27 with, e.g., anA/D element. The overall resistance of the bridgewire 27 can then becalculated from the ohmic drop across the bridgewire 27 and the constantcurrent used. If the calculated resistance is above a range of thresholdvalues (e.g., in the embodiment described here, 30 to 60 kΩ range), thebridgewire 27 is considered to be open, i.e., not continuous.

If such error is detected, then the detonator 20 responds back with acorresponding error code (i.e., continuity check failure as indicated bythe respective data bit of the command word).

Program Delay/Scratch

By this command, if the detonator 20 has not already been programmedwith a delay time or if a new delay time is desired, the operator canprogram the detonator 20 accordingly. Through this command, the blastingmachine 40 or logger requests a write of the delay and scratchinformation for a single detonator 20 of which the serial ID is known.This command also preferably sets the bus detection flag (conveyed bythe respective data bit of the command word) high.

Operation—by Blasting Machine

After some or all detonators 20 may have been thus processed by thelogger, they are connected to the bus 18. A number of detonators 20 canbe connected depending on the specifics of the system (e.g., up to athousand or more in the particular embodiment described here). Theoperator then powers up the blasting machine 40, which initiates a checkfor the presence of incompatible detonators and leakage, and maypreferably be prompted to enter a password to proceed. The logger isthen connected to the blasting machine 40 and a command issued totransfer the logged information (i.e., hole number, serial ID, and delaytime for all of the logged detonators), and the blasting machine 40provides a confirmation when this information has been received.(Although used in the preferred embodiment, a logger need not beseparately used to log detonators 20, and a system could be configuredin which the blasting machine 40 logs the detonators 20, e.g., usingAuto Bus Detection command or other means are used to convey thepertinent information to the blasting machine 40 and/or conduct anyother functions that are typically associated with a logger such as thefunctions described above).

The blasting machine 40 may preferably be programmed to then require theoperator to command a system diagnostic check before proceeding toarming the detonators 20, or to perform such a check automatically. Thiscommand causes the blasting machine 40 to check and perform diagnosticson each of the expected detonators 20, and report any errors, which mustbe resolved before firing can occur. The blasting machine 40 and/orASICs 30 are also preferably programmed so that the operator can alsoprogram or change the delay for specific detonators 20 as desired.

The blasting machine 40 and/or ASICs 30 are preferably programmed topermit the operator to arm the detonators 20, i.e., issue the Chargecommand (and the ASICs 30 to receive this command) once there are noerrors, which causes the charging of the firing capacitors 26.Similarly, the blasting machine 40 and/or ASICs 30 are preferablyprogrammed to permit the operator to issue the Fire command (and theASICs 30 to receive this command) once the firing capacitors 26 havebeen charged and calibrated. The blasting machine 40 and/or ASICs 30 arealso preferably programmed so that if the Fire command is not issuedwithin a set period (e.g., 100 s), the firing capacitors 26 aredischarged and the operator must restart the sequence if it is wished toperform a firing.

The blasting machine 40 is also preferably programmed so that, uponarming, an arming indicator light(s) alights (e.g., red), and then, uponsuccessful charging of the detonators 20, that light preferably changescolor (e.g., to green) or another one alights to indicate that thesystem is ready to fire. The blasting machine 40 is also preferablyprogrammed so that the user must hold down separate arming and firingbuttons together until firing or else the firing capacitors 26 aredischarged and the operator must restart the sequence to perform firing.

The foregoing sequence can be beneficially accomplished with othercommands noted above, preferred details of which are discussed below.

Auto Bus Detection

This command permits the blasting machine 40 to detect any unknown(i.e., unlogged) detonators 20 that are connected to the bus 18, forcingsuch detonators to respond with their serial ID, delay data, scratchdata, and current status flag-settings. The blasting machine 40 and ASIC30 may preferably be configured and programmed so that this command isused as follows:

-   -   1. The blasting machine 40 broadcasts the Auto Bus Detection        command packet on the bus 18. All detonators 20 receiving the        command that have not previously been detected on the bus 18 (as        indicated by their respective bus detection status flag        settings) calculate a “clock” value that correlates to their        serial IDs and/or delay time information, and then enter a wait        state. The correlated clock value can, for example, be        calculated from an 11-bit number derived from the CRC-8 of the        combined serial ID and selected data bits (e.g., 8 bits) of the        delay register word of the Auto Bus Detection command packet, so        that adequate time is afforded between each possible clock value        for the initiation of a response (including any delay as        described below) from a corresponding detonator 20.    -   2. The blasting machine 40 then begins issuing a “clock”        sequence on the bus 18 that continues (except when halted or        aborted as described below) until it reaches a number that        correlates to the highest possible detonator serial ID in the        system (for example, using the 11-bit number described above,        there may be 2,048 possible clock values). Time must be allowed        between the end of the Auto Bus Detection command packet and        issuance of a clock that correlates to the first possible serial        ID, to permit calculation by the ASICs 30 of the clock values        that correlate to their serial IDs. This can be accomplished by        including a wait time (e.g., 10 μs in the embodiment described        here) between the end of the detection command packet and the        leading edge of the first transition of the clock. To enable        current talkback (as described elsewhere herein), the bus 18 is        preferably held low during this time, but it can alternately be        held high.    -   3. When the clock value for a particular unlogged detonator 20        is reached, the ASIC 30 of that detonator 20 responds. In the        embodiment described here, time (during which the bus 18 is held        high or low, preferably low) is permitted for the initiation of        a response that is delayed by a predetermined period as shown in        FIG. 9. The system may preferably be configured so that if the        bus 18 is not pulled low before a predetermined timeout period        (e.g., 4.096 ms), the detection process will abort.    -   4. Upon sensing a response from one or more detonators 20, the        blasting machine 40 halts the clock sequence and holds the bus        (preferably low) until the full response packet is received, at        which point the clock sequence resumes. Alternately, adequate        time for the transmission of a full packet could be permitted        between the counting of each clock value that correlates to a        possible serial ID, however, this would be slower. The blasting        machine 40 records at least the serial ID (and optionally also        the device settings) of any responding detonators 20. If more        than one ASIC 30 begins responding simultaneously, the blasting        machine 40 preferably ignores such responses and preferably        resumes the clock sequence as it would otherwise.    -   5. The process starting with the Auto Bus Detection command        packet is then repeated using a different delay time or a        different dummy serial ID until no unlogged detonators 20        respond (i.e., until a full clock sequence is counted out        without any devices responding), at which point it is deemed        that all detonators 20 connected to the bus 18 are identified.    -   6. When the autobus detection sequence is complete, the blasting        machine 40 then sends (in any desired order such as by serial        ID) the Known Detonator Read Back command (described immediately        below) to each individual known detonator 20, i.e., all those        that responded to the Auto Bus Detection command, as well as all        those that were initially identified to the blasting machine 40        by the logger.        Known Detonator Read Back

By this command, the blasting machine 40 or logger requests a read backof a single detonator 20 of which the serial ID is known. In response tothis command, the detonator 20 provides its serial ID, delay time,scratch information, and status flags (notably including its chargestatus). This command preferably sets the bus detection flag high sothat the device no longer responds to an Auto Bus Detection command.

Check Continuity

The system should be configured so that this command is required to beissued before the Charge command (described immediately below) can beissued. By this command, the blasting machine 40 broadcasts a request toall detonators 20 connected to the bus 18 to perform a continuity check.In response, each ASIC 30 in the detonators 20 performs a continuitycheck on the bridgewire 27 such as is described above with respect tothe Single Check Continuity command sent to a specific detonator 20.

Charge

By this command, the blasting machine 40 requests a charge of alldetonators 20 connected to the bus 18. After charging of each detonator20, its charge status flag is set high. The detonators 20 respond backto the blasting machine 40 only if an error has occurred (e.g., a CRCerror, the bus detection flag is not high, or—if staggered charging asdescribed below is used—the scratch register is set to zero), in whichcase the response includes the corresponding error code.

If a large number of detonators 20.are connected to the bus 18, chargingmay preferably be staggered so that the detonators 20 are each chargedat different times such as by the following steps:

-   -   1. The blasting machine 40 broadcasts the Charge command on the        bus 18.    -   2. The blasting machine 40 then begins issuing a clock sequence        at a selected temporal frequency on the bus 18, which sequence        continues up to a certain maximum number corresponding to the        maximum number of the scratch register, e.g., 4,096.    -   3. When the number of clocks reaches a number programmed in the        scratch register of a particular detonator 20, that detonator 20        charges. The detonators 20 can have unique scratch values or        they can be grouped by scratch number into banks (of e.g., 2        to 100) that thus charge concurrently. The clock frequency        should be timed and the detonator scratch values set        sequentially in such a way as to ensure that a desired minimum        individual (i.e., non-overlapping) charging time is afforded to        each detonator 20 or bank of detonators 20, which can be done in        a number of ways (e.g., using scratch numbers of 1, 2, 3 . . .        at a given clock frequency has the same effect as scratch        numbers of 2, 4, 6 . . . at a clock frequency that is twice as        fast). When the clock corresponding to the detonator 20 is        received, the ASIC 30 begins charging the firing capacitor 26        (see, e.g., FIG. 5) until the capacitor voltage reaches a        predefined charged threshold, at which point charge-topping of        the firing capacitor 26 is then maintained.    -   4. If the capacitor voltage threshold is not achieved within a        specified desired window (e.g., in the present embodiment,        between 1.048 s and 8.39 s after the ASIC 30 begins charging the        firing capacitor 26), then the ASIC 30 times out and sets the        charge status flag to low (but does not need to be programmed to        send a response communicating the error at this time, assuming        that the Verify Charge command described below is used).    -   5. The charge process ends when the bus 18 is held low for more        than a predetermined timeout period, e.g., 4.096 ms.

The minimum time required to charge a network of detonators in astaggered fashion thus essentially equals the desired individual (orbank) capacitor charging time (which in turn depends on the particularcharging process used and the size of the firing capacitor 26)multiplied by the number of detonators 20 (or banks). For example, inthe present embodiment, about 3 s per capacitor may be desirable with asystem including 100 detonators or detonator banks in which theconstant-current regulation process described below is employed, andresults in an overall charging time of 300 s. Alternatively, the chargeclocking can be controlled over a wide range of scratch values, e.g.,clocking to a certain number of pulses (where all detonators withscratch values up to this pulse number will charge), pausing theclocking momentarily to allow these detonators to adequately charge tofull capacity before issuing further clock pulses, pausing and resumingagain if, desired, and so on.

At the device level, the electricity supplied to each firing capacitor26 during charging may preferably be through a constant-current,rail-voltage regulated charging process, as is shown in FIG. 12. In sucha charging process, the current draw is held constant at a relativelylow amount (e.g., at 1 mA) while voltage increases linearly with timeuntil a “rail-voltage” (which is the regulator voltage, which is in turnsuitably chosen together with the capacitance of the firing capacitor 26and the firing energy of the bridgewire 27) is reached, after which thevoltage remains constant at the rail voltage and the current draw thusdecreases rapidly. Such charging regulation, which is known for examplein the field of laptop computer battery chargers, may be accomplished byseveral methods such as a current-mirror using two bipolar transistorsor MOSFETs, a fixed gate-source voltage on a JFET or MOSFET, or acurrent feedback using an op amp or comparator.

Charge Verify

By this command, the blasting machine 40 broadcasts a request to alldetonators 20 on the bus 18 to verify that they are charged. If an ASIC30 did not charge (as reflected by a low charge status flag setting perthe charge procedure described above) or has a CRC error, it immediatelyresponds back with the appropriate error code and other informationincluding its status flags. The Charge Verify command can alsoeffectively provide a verification of the proper capacitance of thefiring capacitor 26 if a charging window time as described above withreference to the charging process is employed, and its limits arerespectively defined to correspond to the time required (using theselected charging process) to charge a firing capacitor 26 having theupper and lower limits of acceptable capacitance. For example, in theembodiment described here, using a constant-current (1 mA), rail-voltagelimited charging, a 47 μF capacitor nominally charges to 25V in 1.2 s,and a window of from 0.5 to 3 s corresponds to acceptablemaximum/minimum capacitance limits (i.e., about 20 to 100 μF), or a 374μF capacitor nominally charges to 25V in 9.4 s, and a window of from6.25 to 12.5 s corresponds to acceptable maximum/minimum capacitancelimits (i.e., about 250 to 500 μF). If the blasting machine 40 receivesan error message in response to this command, it can re-broadcast theCharge command and terminate the sequence, or alternately it could beconfigured and programmed to permit the individual diagnosing andindividual charging of any specific detonators 20 responding witherrors.

Calibrate

Each one of detonators 20 contains an internal oscillator (see FIG. 5),which is used to control and measure duration of any delays or timeperiods generated or received by the detonator 20. The exact oscillatorfrequency of a given detonator 20 is not known and varies withtemperature. In order to obtain repeatable and accurate blast timing,this variation must be compensated for. In the present embodiment thisis accomplished by requesting the detonator 20 to measure (in terms ofits own oscillator frequency) the duration of a fixed calibration pulse,NOM (preferably, e.g., 0.5 to 5 s in an embodiment such as thatdescribed here), which is generated by the blasting machine 40 using itsinternal oscillator as reference. In the present embodiment, thedetonator 20 then uses the measured pulse duration, CC, to compute thefiring delay in terms of the oscillator counts using the followingformula: counts=DLY*(CC/NOM) where DLY is the value of the delayregister. (In the present embodiment it is assumed that the temperatureof the detonator 20 has become stable or is changing insignificantly bythe time the actual blast is performed).

By the Calibrate command (the address bytes of which may contain anyarbitrary data), the blasting machine 40 broadcasts a request tocalibrate all detonators 20 on the bus 18. A detonator 20 responds backto the calibrate command only if an error has occurred (e.g., a CRCerror or the bus detection or charge status flags are not high), inwhich case the response includes the corresponding error code. If thereis no error, immediately after the calibration packet has been received,the detonator 20 waits until the bus 18 is pulled high for a set period(e.g., the same period described above as NOM), at which point the ASIC30 begins counting at its oscillating frequency until the bus 18 ispulled back low to end the calibration sequence. The number of countscounted out by the ASIC 30 during this set period is then stored in thedetonator's calibration register (and is later used by the ASIC 30 todetermine countdown values) and the calibration flag is set high.Pulling the bus 18 low ends the Calibrate command sequence, and therising edge of the next transition to high on the bus 18 is thenrecognized as the start of a new command.

Calibrate Verify

By this command, the blasting machine 40 broadcasts a request to verifycalibration of all detonators 20 on the bus 18. In response, eachdetonator 20 checks that the value in its calibration register is withina certain range (e.g., in the embodiment described here, ±40%) of avalue corresponding to the ideal or nominal number of oscillator cyclesthat would occur during the period NOM. A detonator 20 responds backonly if the calibration value is out of range or another error hasoccurred (e.g., a CRC error or the bus detection, charge, or calibratestatus flags are not high), in which case the response includes thecorresponding error code.

Fire

By this command, the blasting machine 40 broadcasts a request to fireall detonators 20 on the bus 18. A detonator 20 responds back to thiscommand only if an error has occurred (e.g., a CRC error, the busdetection, charge, or calibrate status flags are not high, or the delayregister is set to zero), in which case the response includes thecorresponding error code. Otherwise, in response to this command, theASIC 30 of each detonator 20 initiates a countdown/fire sequence andsets the fire flag high. The blasting machine 40 and logger and/or ASIC30 may beneficially be configured and programmed such that this processis as follows (see also FIG. 11):

-   -   1. Upon receipt of the Fire command, if there are CRC or        procedural errors and the ASIC 30 has not yet successfully        received a Fire command, then the device answers back        immediately with the appropriate error code. (In which case, as        shown in FIG. 10 d, the blasting machine 40 preferably responds        by broadcasting a Discharge command to all detonators 20;        alternately, it could be designed to permit the individual        diagnosis and correction of any detonators 20 responding with an        error, or it can issue further Fire commands as noted in step 3        below). If there are no errors, then the ASIC 30 enters a        “pre-fire countdown,” the delay time for which is programmed by        delay information of the packet that conveys the Fire command.        For example, two bits of a delay register byte can correspond to        four different pre-fire countdown delays that are based on the        preceding calibration sequence and shifting, e.g., with a value        of 1-1 corresponds to a 4.096 s delay, 1-0 to a 2.048 s delay,        0-1 to a 1.024 s delay, and 0-0 to a 0.512 s delay.    -   2. At any time during the counting down of the pre-fire        countdown, the detonator 20 can receive a Single Discharge or        Discharge command, or another Fire command. If the Fire command        is sent again, then the ASIC 30 verifies there are no CRC        errors. If there is a CRC error, then the new Fire command is        ignored and the existing pre-fire countdown continues to        progress. If there are no CRC errors, then the ASIC 30 resets        its pre-fire countdown value to the value determined by the        delay register of the new Fire command packet, and starts a new        pre-fire countdown based on the new delay value. Depending on        the initial pre-fire countdown delay value, it may be possible,        and is preferred, to send the Fire command several (in the        embodiment described here, three) additional times prior to the        expiration of the pre-fire countdown.    -   3. If neither Discharge command is sent before expiration of the        pre-fire countdown, the ASIC 30 checks that the bus 18 voltage        exceeds a minimum absolute threshold value. If it does not, then        the detonator 20 automatically discharges; otherwise, a “final        fire countdown” begins and the communication interface of the        detonator 20 is preferably disabled so that no further commands        can be received. The final fire countdown time is preferably        determined based on the calibration described above and a delay        value programmed into a delay register in the ASIC 30. At the        conclusion of the countdown of this final fire countdown time,        the ASIC 30 causes the firing capacitor 26 to be discharged        through bridgewire 27, resulting in detonation.

It has been found that a system constructed according to the preferredspecifics described here, with up to a thousand or more detonators 20networked to the blasting machine 40, can reliably provide a timingdelay accuracy of better than 80 ppm (e.g., 0.8 ms with 10 s delay).

Discharge

By this command, the blasting machine 40 broadcasts a request todischarge all detonators 20 on the bus 18. A detonator 20 responds backto this command only if a CRC error has occurred in which case theresponse includes the corresponding error code (the discharge command isnot performed in this case). Otherwise, in response to this command, theASIC 30 of each detonator 20 stops any fire countdown that may be inprogress, and causes the firing capacitor 26 to be discharged.

Discharge Verify

By this command, the blasting machine 40 broadcasts a request to verifythe discharging of all detonators 20 on the bus 18. In response, theASIC 30 of each detonator 20 verifies that the firing capacitor 26 isdischarged, responding back only if a CRC or verification error hasoccurred (e.g., a CRC error or the bus detection, charge, or calibratestatus flags are not high), in which case the response includes thecorresponding error code.

Single Discharge

This command is the same as the Discharge command discussed above exceptthat it requires a correct serial ID of a specific detonator 20 on thebus 18, which detonator responds back with its serial ID, delay andscratch information, status flags, and any error codes.

One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that even the particularsystem described here is subject to numerous additions andmodifications. For example, not all of the commands described abovewould necessarily be required, they could be combined, separated, andotherwise modified in many ways, and numerous additional commands couldbe implemented. As some of many examples, a command could implemented toclear all bus detection flags of detonators 20 on the bus 18, to permitresetting of the bus detection process, a command could be implementedto permit individual charge and/or charge verify of selected detonators20, etc. Further, other synchronization schemes (e.g., using a thirdclock line instead of dynamic synchronization) and/or protocols could beused if suitable for a particular application.

Although the present invention has been described in the context of oneparticular preferred embodiment, it will be understood that numerousvariations, modifications, and other applications are also within thescope of the present invention. For example, one skilled in the art willappreciate that a variety of electronic means can be used to perform thefunction of the status flags of the present invention, such as externalflip-flop registers. Further, although four particular flags have beendescribed herein in the context of a preferred embodiment, the statusflags that can be created within the scope of the present invention arenot limited. As a few of the many examples, status flags could be usedto indicate whether or not the detonator has been discharge previouslyand/or the error condition of the last previous communication packetreceived. Further still, it will be recognized that the status flags ofthe present invention could also be applied to electronic pyrotechnicdevices other than electronic detonators, for example, the initiatorsand micro gas generators in automotive safety, military, and aerospaceapplications. Thus, the foregoing detailed description of a preferredembodiment is not intended to limit the invention in any way; insteadthe invention is limited only by the following claims and their legalequivalents.

1. A method of operating an electronic blasting system including ablasting machine, a bus, and at least one electronic detonator,comprising the following steps: a) connecting a blasting machine to atleast one electronic detonator with a bus; b) providing said detonatorwith one or more status flags; c) initiating a firing sequence; and, d)during said firing sequence, setting one or more of said status flagshigh.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein step a) includes connecting aplurality of electronic detonators to said bus.
 3. The method of claim2, wherein one of said one or more status flags is a bus detectionstatus flag.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein one of said one or morestatus flags is a charge status flag.
 5. The method of claim 4, whereinone of said one or more status flags is a calibration'status flag. 6.The method of claim 5, wherein one of said one or more status flags is afiring command status flag.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein thesetting of said flags high can only occur in a specified sequence.
 8. Anelectronic detonator having one or more status flags.
 9. The detonatorof claim 8, wherein said detonator is configured and/or programmed tooperate in response to the setting of at least one status flag.
 10. Thedetonator of claim 8, wherein said status flags include a bus detectionstatus flag.
 11. The detonator of claim 8, wherein said status flagsinclude a charge status flag.
 12. The detonator of claim 8, wherein saidstatus flags include a calibration status flag.
 13. The detonator ofclaim 8, wherein said status flags include a firing command status flag.14. The detonator of claim 8, wherein said status flags include one ormore status flag that cannot be set high before another status flag hasbeen set high.
 15. An electronic blasting system comprising: a) ablasting machine; b) a bus; and, c) at least one electronic detonatorhaving one or more status flags.
 16. The system of claim 15, whereinsaid status flags include a bus detection status flag.
 17. The system ofclaim 15, wherein said status flags include a charge status flag. 18.The system of claim 15, wherein said status flags include a calibrationstatus flag.
 19. The system of claim 15, wherein said status flagsinclude a firing command status flag.
 20. The system of claim 15,wherein said status flags include one or more status flag that cannot beset high before another status flag has been set high.